A BORDERS post office has closed due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

The premises at Sandbed, Hawick, has been “temporarily closed until further notice”, an official Post Office information sign pinned on the outside of the premises notified customers this week.

Customers have been directed in the short-term to use the post offices in the town’s Burnfoot area and in Dickson Street instead.

Hawick & Hermitage councillor Watson McAteer has expressed concern over the impact the move will have on the local community.

He said: “It closed on Monday and I think it is just a purely business-related issue.

“It’s an important post office in Hawick because it’s very central for the people in the West End, so these people will now have to use Dickson Street or Burnfoot and for pensioners that’s a bit of a problem in terms of transport, so it’s a loss, it’s a huge loss and so I hope it can be turned around eventually.”

The Sandbed post office previously closed back in May 2019, again due to “unforeseen circumstances”, but it reopened within days after a new postmaster was recruited.

Now Mr McAteer is hoping for a quick resolution again.

He added: “Sandbed is an essential service in Hawick given its location. Dickson Street and Burnfoot post offices are terrific, they do a great job, but it will make it difficult for those who live centrally or up the West End or the Terraces at Hawick to manage their business.

“The post office also took over quite a bit of the banking work when the Royal Bank and Trustees closed, there’s a knock-on with that.

“I’m hoping that we will be able to see the Sandbed open sometime in the future, hopefully soon.”